Combination car top carrier-play pen



p 1957 G. A. STANLEY 3,341,096

COMBINATION CAR TOP CARRIER-PLAY PEN Filed June 27, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR GEORGE. A. STANLEY ATTORNEYS (5. A. STANLEY COMBINATION CAR TOP CARRIER-PLAY PEN Sept. 12,1967

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1966 Y E N A T S A E G R O E G ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,341,096 COMBINATIGN CAR TOP CARRIER-PLAY PEN George A. Stanley, 229 Benton St., Bellevue, Mich. 49021 Filed June 27, 1966, Ser. No. 560,758 7 Claims. (CI. 224-42.01)

This invention relates to a closed compartment type of car top carrier, and more particularly to a car top carrier which can be dissociated from the car top and easily converted to an infants play pen.

Various types of apparatus are presently used by automobile travelers to carry excess baggage on the outside of the car. Sometimes this apparatus may be simply a small rail around the perimeter of the car roof, often factory installed on station wagon models by the manufacturer, as optional equipment. Alternatively some travelers use detachable racks on the car roof. The present invention is concerned with a type of carrier which may be characterized as the closed compartment type. Carriers of this kind are removable from the auto and are used when it is desirable to keep the transported items closed off from wind and weather, or when the items are not suitable to be lashed to an open rack. Such a carrier is usually nothing more than a durable, rigid, box-like structure with a cover which can be securely attached to keep out wind, rain, etc.

Also well known are child confining enclosures commonly known as play pens. These take on a variety of forms but almost always comprise a collapsible structure which defines a play area of some twenty or so square feet, elevated somewhat above the ground on legs. The cage-like closure is often formed by vertical wooden bars or slats, or sometimes a wall of resilient netting material. The obvious general purpose of play pens is to provide an infant with room to mOVe about, at the same time restricting him from complete freedom to move into potentially hazardous areas.

A problem for travelers is that of having no play pen for very small children, at the destination of a trip. Frequently a play pen is more urgently needed here than at home because the strange environment may be much more dangerous for infants than the childs familiar home environment where ultra-hazardous instrumentalities would normally be kept out of reach. This is particularly true if the destination is not a residence, or is not one where small children live. In such cases any number of dangerous articles or other hazards, e.g. unfamiliar stair cases, etc., may be present. Moreover, it is often desirable in such instances to constrain the child from breaking valuable artifacts and the like. Even absent these special problems which arise away from home, play pens are universally employed to give a child a play area which keeps him out of various sorts of mischief.

An even more acute problem is encountered by proponents of the ever increasingly popular recreation of outdoor camping. Packing an automobile with the necessary paraphernalia puts space at an absolute premium. Nonetheless, a play pen would be an extremely desirable adjunct to such an excursion, to prevent infants from wandering into automobile lanes, or becoming lost in the woods, or strolling into the water. The present invention is an ideal item for permitting a play pen to be carried on the excursion by providing extra baggage room and allowing the play pen to be transported without occupying any essential carrying space. All camping equipment, e.g. tent, stove, etc. can be nicely stored in the carrier, leaving the auto interior uncluttered. The play pen structure is especially adaptable to such a trip, for the solid bottom and sides give extra protection against dampness and inquisitive animals like snakes or insects.

The present invention provides, in a single unit, a car top carrier and an infants play pen. It comprises a closed compartment type of car top carrier made of fiberglass material and is provided with a railing around the top, the mesh or netting material being stretched between the railing and the top of the car top carrier compartment to form a vertical rectangular play pen closure. The railing collapses while the device is being utilized as a car top carrier, but after detaching the compartment from the auto roof upon arrival at the destination, the traveler simply removes the cover from the carrier compartment and raises the railing. The railing is supported on vertical legs that telescope into guide tubes attached to the inside of the car top carrier compartment. With the railing raised in position the entire unit becomes an infants play pen which may be easily transported about and generally used in the same manner as any ordinary childs play pen.

Consequently it is an object of the present invention to provide a combination unit which serves in one'capacity as a closed compartment type of car top carrier for travelers, but which may be converted, upon removal from the car top, to an infants play pen.

It is another object of this invention to provide a compact, visually appealing unit as an aid to automobile travelers with children, and to eliminate the necessity of using valuable in-car space for the transportation of a play pen on auto trips.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination car top carrier and childs play pen which is extremely useful as a weather proof exterior baggage carrier, and is readily and easily converted to a portable, childs play pen.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a means for parents to carry a play pen on outdoor excursions (for example camping or beach trips) within the limited carrying space available in the family automobile.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a space saving combination car top carrier and infant play pen which is economical to manufacture and is extremely simple to use.

Still another object is to eliminate the extra time and effort necessary to load and unload a play pen from the trunk or back seat of a car.

An even further object would be the use of the structure as a portable, childs swimming pool, the fiberglass structure providing an ideal water reservoir with sides of suflicient height to give an appropriate water depth, and providing good durability characteristics.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the car top carrier of the present invention with cover attached, showing the latch mechanisms and the transverse channels providing added structural rigidity.

FIGURE 2' is a perspective view of the structure of the present invention, showing it converted to an infants play pen with the railing telescoped upward out of the corner guide tubes, and showing also the flexible closure material extending from the compartment to the railing, and showing further the loop connection of the support posts to the railing, and the transverse, length adjustable cross rails (partially in broken line), which sustain the weight of the compartment above an automobile.

FIGURE 3 is a partial section view taken substantially along the same lines as FIGURE 4, but with the play pen apparatus in the vertically extended position, and the top disposed over the rail as a sun shield, showing the riveted connection and T-shaped cross section of the weather lip, and also showing (unsectioned) the insertion of the loop railing connectors into the upper ends of the support posts, and the pin attachment of the connector to the post.

FIGURE 4 is a partial section view taken on line IVIV of FIGURE 1 showing the relation of elements of the unit in the closed position, with the railing concealed inside the covered compartment, the netting material being folded therein.

FIGURE 5 is a partial section view taken on line VV of FIGURE 4 showing the detail of the post lock mechanisms as a flexible catch with a manual grip portion, the solid line showing the catch being flexibly withdrawn from the hole through the guide tube to permit the illustrated lowering of the play pen railing, and the broken line showing the catch being engaged supportingly under the lower end of the support post and sustaining it in the elevated position.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of one structure for securely closing the rectangular loop of extruded aluminum railing, showing a screw retained wooden plug as a common connector.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of an alternative rail closure structure embodying a necked down portion of one end of the extrusion which inserts into the other open end of the extrusion.

General description In general a fiberglass compartment is provided having a bottom and sides, the compartment being open at the top. A cover is also provided for the compartment with means for securing the cover to the compartment in a weatherproof relation.

The car carrier compartment and cover are essentially a pair of upper and lower separable shells. A collapsible structure is provided within the lower shell which, after removing the upper shell or cover, may be elevated to form a play pen closure with the lower shell. The unit, of course, would be removed from the automobile and the cover taken off from the compartment before its service as a play pen.

A railing is supported by the extended structure, with which it collapses into the compartment while the unit is employed as a carrier apparatus. When used as a play pen the railing is extended upward from within the compartment and locked into position. The railing is supported upon vertical extendible support means for easy erecting and collapsing of the railing by the user. The collapsible support means are formed by vertical posts which telescope into stationary guide tubes affixed to the inside corners of the compartment portion of the unit. A strip of flexible air-pervious material extends between the perimeter of the compartment and the rail and is folded into the compartment when the railing is collapsed. When the railing is erected the netting is stretched taut between the upper perimeter of the compartment and the railing, and thus forms the upper portion of the play pen closure. The bottom portion thereof is formed by the sides of the compartment.

Specific description Specifically referring to FIGURE 1 a car top carrier is provided in the form of a cubical compartment 11 having a bottom 13 and sides 15 and an open top. A removable cover or top 17 is also provided which is removably attachable to the opening of the cubical compartment. This attachment is accomplished by latch means 19 having complementary portions attached to the outsides of the compartment and the cover, for mutual interlocking of said complementary parts to secure the lid or cover. Such latches would typically be clamp means, as for example toggle clamps or toggle latches of the type seen on ordinary suitcases. Any means for attaching the cover could be used which provide an easy to operate closing mechanism and secure the cover tightly against weather and elements. For example, instead of toggle latches, threaded rods and wing nuts (not shown) could be used to accomplish the weatherproof closure. The threaded rods would be attached to the cubical compartment and project upwardly through registering holes on the cover. Then the wing nuts could be turned down, threading onto the rods until the wing nuts tightened against the top of the cover and pressed it securely against the compartment. Other techniques for accomplishing this closure should be obvious to those skilled in the art and are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention,

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, attached to the compartment is a collapsible railing 21, which, in the collapsed position is entirely contained within the interior of the covered compartment (FIGURE 4).

The railing is supported at each corner by a vertical support post 23 which telescopes into a vertical guide tube 25. Each guide tube is permanently attached to the inside of a corner of the carrier compartment 11. The support posts slide up and down in the guide tubes 25 and are easily raised and lowered during conversion of the unit from the car carrier of FIGURE 1 to the play pen of FIGURE 2, and vice versa. In the play pen position the unit would be removed from the roof top support structure 29.

In FIGURE 5 is seen in detail the post lock mechanism of FIGURE 4. The lock, shown here as exemplary of any number of well known means, comprises a flexible catch; 26, with a manual grip portion 26. In solid line is shown the catch flexibly withdrawn from a hole through the guide tube to permit the support post 23 to be telescoped downward for collapse of the play pen railing 21. The broken line shows the catch 26 being engaged supportingly under the lower end of the support post 23, to sustain it in the elevated position.

The sides 15 of the compartment 11 form substantially the lower half of the play pen confines. A flexible closure material 27, stretches from the entire perimeter of the compartment opening upward to the railing 21, and forms the upper portion of the play pen sides. This closure material preferably possesses an air pervious characteristic, for circulation, and is anticipated to be a kind of flexible netting.

The car top carrier compartment is attached to the automobile (not shown) in a manner well known in the art, as for example by being supported on cross bars 29' which extend over the roof of the automobile, as in FIG- URE 2. These rails are preferably constituted of mating, telescoping halves which are thus adjustable to varying car widths. The outer ends of the cross rails 29 can be held above the car roof by vertical members (not shown) secured to the drip rail at either side of the auto roof. Other attachment means for the cross bars 29 can be alternatively utilized, for example suction cups with tie down ropes (not shown), a technique now commonly used. Bolts 33 passing through holes in the bottom of the compartment secure the unit to the cross bars 29. Wash ers 31 are provided for the usual purpose of distributing the holding force of the bolt heads 33, which hold the compartment 11 to the crossv bars 29.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, a strip of weather proofing material is riveted to the perimeter of the com partment opening. This is preferably an upwardly proecting rubber or aluminum lip 35 which closes the compartment against weather leakage at the abutment of the cover 17 against the compartment 11. The weather lip 35 is a strip which extends around the entire perimeter of the compartment 11 and extends somewhat upward and downward from the abutment between the cover and the compartment. The lip thus abuts, from the interior of the compartment, the lower edge of the cover and the upper edge of the compartment, and provides a baifie against the ingress of exterior elements. The lip is attached to the compartment by rivets 37.

The stationary guide tubes 25 are preferably attached to the inside of the fiberglass compartment by being fiberglass bonded thereto.

The metal railing 21 is preferably of extruded aluminum and connected to the support posts by passing through loop 39 disposed on the tops thereof. For illustrative purposes the aluminum circular rail connector loop is shown in FIGURE 3 with cylindrical base 41 which inserts into the open upper end of the support post 23 and is secured thereto by pin means 43 which pass through mating holes in the post and cylindrical loop base.

FIGURE 6 shows the extruded upper rail connected into a closed rectangular loop by wood screws 45 through holes 46, the screws being sunk into wooden plug insert 47. Alternatively this closure could be accomplished by 'having a necked down portion 49 at one end of the extruded aluminum railing loop 21 which would insert into the other open end of the loop 21 and connect thereto by a machine or sheet metal screw 51, as seen in FIGURE 7. Other known-methods might be substituted for these connections.

FIGURES 1 and 2 disclose transverse channels 53 in the compartment and cover structures, which are intended to provide augmented structural rigidity.

Operation In operation as a car top carrier the compartment 11 is bolted to the support structure over the roof of the car as seen in FIGURE 2. However, the play pen railing 21 would be collapsed into the inside of the compartment 11, bag-gage or other impedimenta packed into the compartment interior, and the cover 17 then clamped into place to give a configuration as seen in FIGURE 1. The unit is now ready for safe transportation and protects the contained items against weather or damage.

At journeys end, when it is desired to provide a play pen structure for the travelers children, the unit is detached from the automobile (not shown). After the luggage is removed from the compartment 11 the railing 21 is elevated to the superior position by lifting it upward. The support posts 23 telescope upward from the guide tubes 25, and at the uppermost position the flexible catch means 26 automatically snap inward and provide a support plateau under the lower end of the support posts 23. The netting 27 is thereby stretched vertically, thus completing the play pen closure in conjunction with the sides of the compartment. The cover of the compartment may optionally be supported over the railing to form a sunwind-rain shield for the infant in the play pen.

When it is desired to reconvert the play pen back to a car top carrier the catch means are manually retracted and the railing returned to the collapsed position, with the support posts telescoped into the guide tubes. The netting material is folded neatly into the compartment and the compartment is then reattached to the support rails on the automobile roof. It may then be repacked and covered for the return trip.

The apparatus of the present invention is thus seen to provide an extremely useful combination structure which makes it unnecessary for a traveler to occupy much needed space with a play pen if very small children are being transported on a trip. The car top carrier not only provides additional space in addition to that normally provided in an ordinary automobile but also provides, without using valuable interior car space, a play pen structure which is easily and rapidly set up at journeys end.

Having described an operative embodiment of my invention, modifications, adaptations, and alterations will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and such modifications, adaptations and alterations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention, limited only by the hereinafter appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A convertible car carrier comprising:

(a) a compartment formed as the closure within two rigid, separable, upper and lower shells;

(b) a vertically extendible support structure, attached to the inside of said lower shell, and normally contained therein;

(c) a strip of flexible closure material attached along its lower edge to the lower shell, and attached along its upper edge to the upper portion of said support structure;

whereby said upper shell may be separated from said lower shell and said support structure elevated to draw said flexible closure material vertically taut to form an upward extension of said lower shell, open at the top, for confinement of a small child.

2. A combination carrier-infants play pen, comprising:

(a) a compartment with a bottom and sides, and an open top;

(b) a cover for said compartment;

(c) means for effecting weather proof closure of said cover over said compartment;

(d) a railing around the opening of said compartment;

(e) a strip of flexible, closure mate-rial extending substantially between the entire perimeter of said compartment opening to supstantially the entire perimeter of said railing;

(f) vertically extensible support means for said rail to permit raising and lowering thereof;

whereby said rail may be disposed in a lower position adjacent the upper edge of said compartment, with said flexible material Ifolded into said compartment and said cover closed over said compartment to provide a closed car top carrier; and whereby said cover may be removed and said railing elevated on said extendible support means to an upper position over said compartment, thereby pulling said flexible material upward into a stretched closure around the top of said compartment sides, forming therewith an infants play pen.

3. A car top carrier-play pen combination, comprising:

(a) a cubical compartment having a bottom and sides and an open top;

(b) a plurality of vertical tubes affixed at selected locations to the sides of said compartment and having their upper ends proximate to the open top of said compartment;

(c) a plurality of support posts, each telescoped into one of said vertical tubes;

(d) a railing around said open top of said compartment, said railing being supported by and secured to the upper ends of said support posts;

(e) a strip of flexible, air pervious material extending around said compartment from the perimeter of the open top of said compartment to the perimeter of said railing;

(f) a cover for the open top of said compartment; and

(g) latch means to accomplish weatherproof closure of said cover over said top of said compartment;

whereby said rail may be disposed in a lower position adjacent the upper edge of said compartment, with said netting folded into said compartment and said cover over said rail and netting, to provide a closed car top carrier; and whereby said cover may be removed and said rail elevated to an upper position on said support posts, over said compartment, thereby pulling said netting into a stretched closure around the top of said compartment sides, forming therewith an infant play pen.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said compartment and cover are constructed of fiberglass.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 with additional structure comprising: releasable catch means on said vertical tubes for engagement with said support posts, to lock said support posts into the vertically extended position.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 with additional structure comprising: support means attached to the roof of a car, said compartment being supported above said roof by said support means, and being easily attachable and detachable from said support means.

7 The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said cover is configured so as to be supportable on said rail, but detachable therefrom: whereby said rail may be disposed in the upper position with said cover disposed thereon to propen.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Lesnikowski 190-15 Ehrenberg 594 Cence 224--42.1 Tigrett 5-98 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

vide a sun and rain shade for the infant inside said play 10 R J SPAR Aysistant Examiner 

1. A CONVERTIBLE CAR CARRIER COMPRISING: (A) A COMPARTMENT FORMED AS THE CLOSURE WITHIN TWO RIGID, SEPARABLE, UPPER AND LOWER SHELLS; (B) A VERTICALLY EXTENDIBLE SUPPORT STRUCTURE, ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF SAID LOWER SHELL, AND NORMALLY CONTAINED THEREIN; (C) A STRIP FO FLEXIBLE CLOSURE MATERIAL ATTACHED ALONG ITS LOWER EDGE TO THE LOWER SHELL, AND ATTACHED ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE; WHEREBY SAID UPPER SHELL MAY BE SEPARATED FROM SAID LOWER SHELL AND SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE ELEVATED TO DRAW SAID FLEXIBLE CLOSURE MATERAL VERTICALLY TAUT TO FORM AN UPWARD EXTENSION OF SAID LOWER SHELL, OPEN AT THE TOP, FOR CONFINEMENT OF A SMALL CHILD. 